keep getting "expected primary expression before 'else'"

i am writing a code for class and have gotten everything else to work with my compiler except my else statements.
I keep getting the "expected primary expression before 'else'" and the "expected ( before 'else'" as well

the first functions of my code is as follows:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
/*
a=volume
b=surface area
r=radius
*/

	double x,r,a,b,c,h,l,w;
        (putting a resp return command here after i finish this problem)
	cout<< "What shape would you like?"<<endl;
	cout<< "1) Sphere"<< endl;
	cout<< "2) Cone"<< endl;
	cout<< "3) Rectangular Prism"<< endl;
	cout<< "4) Cylinder"<< endl;
	cin>>x;
		if (x==1); // Sphere
		{
		cout<<"Radius=";
		cin>>r;
		while(cin.fail()<'0');
		{
			cout<<"ERROR! VALUE MUST BE GREATER THAN 0"<<endl;
			cin.clear();
			cin.ignore(256,'\n');
			cout<< "Radius=";
			cin>>r;
			};
		a=((4.0/3.0)*M_PI)*pow(r,3.0);
		b=(4*M_PI)*pow(r,2.0);
		cout<<"Volume="<<a<< endl;
		cout<<"Surface Area="<<b<<endl;
		}
		else if (x==2); // Cone
		{

(Yes i am a next liner)

The rest of the program is very similar to this part with the 'if' statement followed by command code followed by and else statement and repeat through all 4 shapes

if you would like to see the next section of the code let me know and i will post it in here.

any help would be great, thx

Dave

A couple points of interest

Code:

cout<<"Volume="<<a<< endl;
		cout<<"Surface Area="<<b<<endl;
		};

Why the semicolon after the bracket?

Code:

while(cin.fail()<'0');

Is this really what you want?

Code:

(putting a resp return command here after i finish this problem)

How does this line even compile since it is outside of a comment?

Code:

else if (x == 2);

Hmm.


You need to format your code a bit better. It is very hard to read.

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    /*
    a = volume
    b = surface area
    r = radius
    */

    double x;
    double r;
    double a;
    double b;
    double c,
    double h;
    double l;
    double w;

    // (putting a resp return command here after i finish this problem)
    cout << "What shape would you like?"<< endl;
    cout << "1) Sphere"<< endl;
    cout << "2) Cone"<< endl;
    cout << "3) Rectangular Prism"<< endl;
    cout << "4) Cylinder"<< endl;
    cin >> x;

    if (x == 1); // Sphere
    {
        cout << "Radius=";
        cin >> r;
        while(cin.fail() < '0');
        {
	cout << "ERROR! VALUE MUST BE GREATER THAN 0"<< endl;
	cin.clear();
	cin.ignore(256,'\n');
	cout << "Radius=";
	cin >> r;
        };
        
        a = ( (4.0 / 3.0) * M_PI) * pow(r,3.0);
        b = (4 * M_PI) * pow(r,2.0);
        cout << "Volume="<< a << endl;
        cout << "Surface Area=" << b << endl;
    };
    else if (x == 2); // Cone
    {

Reformatted but not fixed. Now you can probably spot your mistakes.

You tried what? Post the complete and "updated" or "fixed" code that you are now running.

would you like the next section of code to see how i used the

Code:

 else if (x==2);

and the

Code:

 (putting a resp return command here after i finish this problem)

was a note i put into my notepad version to remind myself to do that, it is not actually in the code itself.

I dont know what that post is supposed to mean. To get help,

Originally Posted by nadroj

Post the complete and "updated" or "fixed" code that you are now running.

Otherwise we can only guess the exact code that you're currently running. This, of course, would be useless.

You, of course removed that semi colon and line of raw text ("(putting..."), right?

EDIT: Also, its only wasting our time (and yours) if you don't post the exact code (hopefully thats enough emphasize). If you put that line of text in your post, which your saying is your "code", then it only makes sense for us to say "this line is an error". Just FYI for the future, post the exact file you just compiled and are receiving errors for.

ok, the exact code i am now using is

Code:

 #include <iostream>
#include <cmath>
using namespace std;

int main()

{

	/*
	a=volume
	b=surface area
	r=radius
	*/


	double x;
	double r;
	double a;
	double b;
	double c;
	double h;
	double l;
	double w;

	cout<< "What shape would you like?"<<endl;
	cout<< "1) Sphere"<< endl;
	cout<< "2) Cone"<< endl;
	cout<< "3) Rectangular Prism"<< endl;
	cout<< "4) Cylinder"<< endl;
	cin>>x;

	if (x==1); // Sphere
		{
		cout<<"Radius=";
		cin>>r;
		while(cin.fail()<'0');
	        {
		cout << "ERROR! VALUE MUST BE GREATER THAN 0"<<endl;
		cin.clear();
		cin.ignore(256,'\n');
		cout<< "Radius=";
		cin>>r;
		}

		a=((4.0/3.0)*M_PI)*pow(r,3.0);
		b=(4*M_PI)*pow(r,2.0);
		cout<<"Volume="<<a<< endl;
		cout<<"Surface Area="<<b<<endl;
	}
	else if (x==2); // Cone
	{

i reorganized it how bubba recommended

Originally Posted by Bubba

Reformatted but not fixed. Now you can probably spot your mistakes.

As he stated, he reformatted but not fixed it.

As mentioned a few times, you have trailing semi-colons where they probably shouldnt be. Here is one that you should removed the semi-colon after: "if (x==1);". And another: "while(cin.fail()<'0');"

Also, cin.fail returns a "bool", so you probably want to compare the result to either 0/false or 1/true, instead of a character (the character zero: '0'), as you are now.

There is another trailing semi-colon to remove here "else if (x==2);"

Also

Code:

else if (x==2); // Cone
	{

is missing the closing bracket "}". Finally, "int main" is missing its closing bracket "}".